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Breakfast Guide
8 Best Breakfast Spots in Essaouira
The best places for breakfast in Essaouira — ocean-view terraces, harbour fish grills, beach cafés, and medina bakeries with prices and tips.
Essaouira Breakfast Essentials
Unique to Essaouira: Grilled fish breakfast at the harbour — fresh sardines from 10 MAD
Local flavour: Argan oil on fresh bread — Essaouira is argan country
Wind tip: Morning is calmest — eat on terraces before the Alizé picks up
Budget option: Harbour fish + bread for under 20 MAD
1
Taros Café Terrace
Café50–90 MAD 8:30am–11pm Place Moulay Hassan, medina
Taros — a multi-level café, restaurant, and art gallery overlooking Place Moulay Hassan and the ocean — is Essaouira's most popular breakfast destination. The rooftop terrace offers a sweeping view: the square below, the harbour, the fishing boats, and the vast Atlantic beyond. The breakfast menu: Moroccan breakfast spread (msemen, baghrir, amlou, honey, fresh orange juice, mint tea); eggs Benedict; shakshuka; avocado toast; granola bowls; and French-style pastries. The coffee is good (espresso-based), and the fresh juices are excellent. The atmosphere is Essaouira at its best — bohemian, relaxed, and creative, with occasional live music and an art gallery on the lower floors. The rooftop fills quickly after 9:30am, so arrive early for the best tables. On windy days (which is most days in Essaouira), the sheltered lower terrace is the better option.
Insider tip: Get a top-level terrace table before 9:30am — the panoramic view of the square, harbour, and Atlantic is the best breakfast view in Essaouira
2
Harbour Grilled Fish Breakfast
Street Food15–40 MAD 7am–12pm Port of Essaouira, harbour fish stalls
The most uniquely Essaouira breakfast is grilled fish at the harbour — a tradition among the fishermen and port workers. When the boats return at dawn, the freshest catch goes straight to the grill stalls in and around the harbour. A portion of grilled sardines (5–6 fish) costs 10–15 MAD, grilled squid is 15–25 MAD, and a mixed grill plate is 30–40 MAD. Add fresh bread from the nearby stalls (2 MAD) and you have a protein-packed breakfast that costs less than a croissant at a tourist café. The experience is authentic and atmospheric: the blue fishing boats behind you, the seagulls wheeling above, the smoke from the grills, and the shouts of the fish auction nearby. This isn't a conventional breakfast, but it's the most Essaouira breakfast you can have. The fish is impossibly fresh — caught hours ago, grilled minutes ago — and the flavour is extraordinary. Best between 8am and 10am.
Insider tip: Point at the freshest-looking fish and say "grillé" — the stall will grill it to order with nothing but salt and charcoal, and the flavour needs no embellishment
3
Vague Bleu
Café40–80 MAD 8am–10pm Near Skala de la Ville, medina
Vague Bleu — a stylish café on a quiet street near the ramparts — is the go-to breakfast spot for the surf, yoga, and creative community that has made Essaouira its base. The space is minimalist and calm: whitewashed walls, natural materials, good music, and a focus on quality. The breakfast: smoothie bowls (acai, mango, mixed berry) with granola and fresh fruit; avocado toast with poached eggs; Moroccan breakfast platter; homemade banana bread; and specialty coffee (pour-over, flat white, cold brew). The food is fresh, colourful, and Instagram-ready. Vague Bleu represents the new Essaouira — a place where Moroccan tradition meets international health-conscious culture. The portions are generous, the ingredients are locally sourced where possible, and the vibe is welcoming. A good choice if you want a modern, healthy breakfast in a beautiful setting.
Insider tip: The acai smoothie bowl is the standout — thick, beautifully topped with granola, coconut, and fresh seasonal fruit, it's the best smoothie bowl in Essaouira
4
Riad Breakfast with Ocean Sounds
RiadIncluded in room rate 8am–10:30am Your riad — medina, especially near the ramparts
Essaouira's riad breakfast experience has a unique advantage over inland cities: many riads in the medina are close enough to the ramparts that you can hear the Atlantic waves crashing while eating breakfast on the rooftop terrace. The breakfast spread is similar to other Moroccan cities — msemen, baghrir, khobz, honey, amlou, eggs, fresh orange juice, mint tea — but the coastal atmosphere adds a special quality. The morning light in Essaouira is softer than inland Morocco (the ocean moderates the sunlight), and the breeze carries the salt air and the sound of seagulls. Top riads for breakfast: Riad Chbanate (rooftop with ocean views), Villa Maroc (terraces overlooking the medina and sea), and Dar Maya (intimate courtyard with excellent food). Even budget riads near the ramparts offer this coastal breakfast experience. The combination of Moroccan food, Atlantic views, and morning serenity is deeply restful.
Insider tip: Choose a riad near the western ramparts — the rooftop breakfast with ocean views, crashing waves, and seagulls is uniquely Essaouira and worth paying slightly more for
5
Medina Bakeries on Rue Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah
Bakery10–25 MAD 7am–12pm Rue Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah, central medina
Rue Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah — Essaouira's main medina street — has several small bakeries and breakfast stalls where locals start their day. The bakeries sell fresh khobz (round bread, 1–2 MAD), msemen (3–5 MAD), harcha (semolina flatbread, 3–5 MAD), and simple pastries (3–5 MAD each). Pair with honey and olive oil from the grocery stalls nearby (sold by the spoonful for 1–2 MAD), and a café au lait from the closest café (8–12 MAD). The complete breakfast costs under 25 MAD. The bakeries use wood-fired ovens (you can smell the bread baking from the street), and the bread has a distinctive smoky, crusty quality. The experience is local and authentic — you're standing at a counter or on the street, eating with medina residents. Essaouira's medina is compact, so you're never more than a few minutes' walk from a bakery. The argan oil shops on this street are also excellent — buy a small bottle of pure argan oil (40–60 MAD) to drizzle on your bread.
Insider tip: Ask for msemen with local argan oil drizzled on top — the nutty, rich flavour of pure Essaouira argan oil on hot flatbread is a taste unique to this region
6
Café de France
Café30–60 MAD 7:30am–10pm Place Moulay Hassan, medina
Café de France — a classic Moroccan café on the corner of Place Moulay Hassan — is the traditional gathering spot for Essaouira's morning crowd. The café has a terrace overlooking the square where you can watch the town wake up while drinking your coffee. The breakfast is simple and local: café au lait or mint tea, fresh bread with butter and jam, and fresh orange juice. Nothing fancy — this is the same breakfast that Essaouira has been eating for decades. The atmosphere is the attraction: the morning light on the square, the fishermen walking to the harbour, the cats of Essaouira making their rounds, and the quiet energy of a town starting its day. The café is also a meeting point — local artists, musicians, and shop owners gather here before heading to work. The terrace tables are the best seats in the morning — the square is peaceful before 10am, and the light is soft and warm.
Insider tip: Take a terrace table facing the square — the morning people-watching as Essaouira wakes up is as nourishing as the breakfast itself
7
Ocean Vagabond Beach Café
Café50–90 MAD 9am–sunset Beach south of the medina walls
Ocean Vagabond — a beach café south of the medina walls — is the only breakfast option directly on the sand. The café has a relaxed, surf-shack aesthetic: wooden tables on the beach, windbreakers for the Alizé wind, and a view of the ocean and the medina walls. The breakfast: pancakes with honey and fruit; eggs with avocado; Moroccan breakfast platter; fresh juices and smoothies; and good coffee. The setting is what makes it special — eating breakfast on the beach with the sound of waves, the smell of the Atlantic, and the view of the medina walls to the north. Ocean Vagabond attracts the surf community (the Essaouira beach has consistent waves for beginners), and the vibe is international, relaxed, and outdoorsy. On calm mornings, the beach is spectacular; on windy days (most days June–September), the windbreakers provide shelter but expect some sand in your breakfast. Best in the morning before the wind picks up.
Insider tip: Go on a calm morning (check the wind forecast) — breakfast on the sand with the medina walls behind you and the Atlantic in front is Essaouira at its best
8
La Table by Madada
Restaurant70–120 MAD 8am–11pm Rue d'Oujda, medina
La Table by Madada — the restaurant of the boutique Heure Bleue Palais hotel — serves what many consider the best brunch in Essaouira. The restaurant is set in a beautiful courtyard with elegant, modern-Moroccan décor. The brunch menu (weekends from 10am): eggs royale with smoked salmon; shakshuka with harissa and crusty bread; avocado toast with dukkah; Moroccan breakfast platter with homemade breads and preserves; and a dessert selection of pastries and cakes. The quality is consistently high — the bread is baked in-house, the eggs are perfectly cooked, and the presentation is beautiful. Non-hotel guests are welcome (reservations recommended for weekends). The courtyard is sheltered from the wind, making it a comfortable option on blustery days. This is the upscale end of Essaouira breakfast — higher prices than the medina cafés but with a noticeably higher level of food quality and service.
Insider tip: Book the weekend brunch — the combination of the courtyard setting, the quality of the food, and the shelter from the wind makes this the most comfortable and refined breakfast experience in Essaouira
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Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Essaouira breakfast different?
Essaouira's breakfast scene is influenced by its coastal location and bohemian culture. The traditional Moroccan breakfast staples (msemen, baghrir, mint tea) are available everywhere, but Essaouira adds its own specialities: fresh-grilled sardines for breakfast at the port (a fisherman's tradition), argan oil with honey (amlou — Essaouira is at the heart of Morocco's argan country), and a growing scene of modern cafés serving avocado toast, smoothie bowls, and specialty coffee, catering to the surf and yoga community. The ocean views from the café terraces — watching the fishing boats and the Atlantic waves — add an atmosphere unique to Essaouira.
Where is the cheapest breakfast in Essaouira?
The cheapest breakfast in Essaouira is at the medina bakery stalls (msemen for 2–5 MAD, café au lait for 8–10 MAD) and the harbour fish stalls. At the port, you can buy grilled sardines (a stack of 5–6 sardines for 10–15 MAD) and fresh bread (2 MAD) for a complete protein-rich breakfast under 20 MAD. The local cafés on the streets behind Place Moulay Hassan serve basic breakfasts (bread, butter, jam, coffee) for 20–25 MAD. Fresh orange juice is available from the carts near Place Moulay Hassan for 5–8 MAD.
What time do cafés open in Essaouira?
Most cafés and restaurants in Essaouira open between 8am and 9am for breakfast. The local medina cafés (serving coffee and bread) open earlier, around 7am. The harbour fish stalls start serving around 7am when the fishing boats return. The modern cafés and brunch spots (Taros, Vague Bleu, etc.) typically open at 8:30am or 9am. Essaouira is a relaxed town — the pace is slower than Marrakech, and breakfast extends well into mid-morning. Most riads serve breakfast between 8am and 10:30am.